Leinster Progress Through As Pool Winners

Four first half penalties from Felipe Contepomi proved enough for Leinster to beat Edinburgh at the RDS on Sunday and qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

Leinster’s 19-12 defeat by London Wasps last weekend set up a final day showdown in Pool 2 as Leinster and Wasps, locked together on 16 points at the top of the table, looked to better each other’s round 6 result.

In the end, Wasps lost 21-15 away to Castres leaving Leinster to make it through to the tournament’s last-eight as pool winners, courtesy of the four points garnered against Edinburgh.

Leinster began the pool stages back in October in blistering fashion with bonus point wins over Wasps and Edinburgh, but the wheels have threatened to come off in recent outings.

Michael Cheika’s side have noticeably struggled for form and indeed this was the third successive game in which they have failed to score a try, with Contepomi providing all of their points against Cardiff (seven penalties), Wasps (four penalties) and Edinburgh (four penalties).

Out of the quarter-final equation, Edinburgh travelled to Dublin with only pride and Heineken Cup ranking points to play for.

But revenge was most certainly on their minds after suffering a brace of bonus-point defeats – 52-6 in the Magners League and 27-16 in Europe – to Leinster already this season.

Their coach Andy Robinson chopped and changed the team that beat Castres last weekend, with captain Mike Blair among the first-choice players being rested. A late change saw Jim Thompson included on the left wing in place of Simon Webster.

With Leo Cullen out injured and Malcolm O’Kelly suspended for his stamp on Wasps captain Phil Vickery last weekend, Trevor Hogan and Devin Toner linked up in the hosts’ second row and Cian Healy also stepped in for the injured CJ Van Der Linde at loosehead prop.

Leinster seemed to lack confidence in the opening stages, allowing Edinburgh to dictate possession and move the ball wide with some purpose through David Blair and Greig Laidlaw.

Gradually, though, the pool leaders got a grip on the scrum, pressurising young Edinburgh prop Kyle Traynor, and carries from Rocky Elsom, Jamie Heaslip and man-of-the-match Rob Kearney helped set up place-kicks for Felipe Contepomi.

Although they struggled to reach the Edinburgh 22, Leinster were forcing errors from the Scots’ defence and Contepomi potted penalties after 12 and 17 minutes to edge his side ahead.

Edinburgh were beginning to fall foul of referee Chris White and, when John Houston was sin-binned as Leinster pressed in the 22, Contepomi tapped over a simple penalty for 9-0.

Chris Paterson steadied the Edinburgh ship, firing over a penalty in reply, but Leinster ended a defence-dominated first half in the ascendancy as the visitors infringed after a Brian O’Driscoll break and Contepomi mopped up with his fourth penalty.

Nine points ahead at the break, a workmanlike Leinster warded off some early pressure from Edinburgh in the second half before Contepomi botched a two-man overlap by flinging a forward pass to Luke Fitzgerald.

With the rain drifting down and the wind behind them, Cheika’s charges pounded away at Edinburgh’s defensive line but the visitors showed great organisation and heart as, despite being out of the tournament, they scrapped all the way to the final whistle.

The downpour made handling difficult and limited any chance of Leinster getting their running game going.

They pinned Edinburgh in their own half for large stretches of the half and, although the Scots never looked like adding to their tally, a change in events in Castres might have left Leinster scrambling at the finish.

Job done though and a welcome break now as Cheika looks to improve the province’s injury situation ahead of the Magners League’s resumption, with the defending champions positioned third in the table.